Electrical apparatus



June 20, 1933. A J SORENSEN 1,914,929

ELECTRI CAL APPARATUS Filed Feb. 7, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORZ H J". Soren sen,

June 20, 1933. A. J. SQRENSEN 1,914,929

ELECTRICAL APPARATUS Filed Feb. 7, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 my 5 INVENTORI'.

@JT Sakenssn,

' lam/wag Patented June 20, 1933 UNITED STATES earner orrics ANDREW' J. SORENSEN, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION SVI'ITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE,PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA ELECTRICAL APPARATUS.

Application filed February 7, 1930. Serial No. 426,565.

My invention relates to electrical apparatus, and particularly to apparatus of the type comprising contacts controlled by mechanically resonant oscillating masses.

The present application is partly a con tinuation-in-part of my copending application, Serial No. 238,572, filed December 8, 1927, for Railway trafilc controlling apparatus.

I will describe one form of electrical apparatus embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a view showing, in front elevation, one form of electrical apparatus embodying my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are views showing in top plan and end elevation, respectively, the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view along the line IV-IV of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive as applied to the control of current to a section of railway track.

Similar reference characters refer to simila 1' parts in each of the several views.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, the reference character K designates electrical apparatus which for convenience I will term an oscillator and which embodies my invention. This oscillator comprises a base 16 carrying an electromagnet E which operates a pivoted armature 19. A permanent magnet 18 extends from the back strap 17 of the electromagnet E to a position above the armature 19 for the purpose of polarizing the armature. The armature 19 constitutes one end of a driver P having two parallel side bars 20 and 21 and an end bar 90 pivoted in such manner that the'driver is oscillated by the oscillation of the armature 19. The armature 19 carries a movable contact 95 arranged to swing into engagement with a fixed contact 95 when the armature occupics one extreme position, as will be apparent from an inspection of Fig.3.

The oscillator K also comprises a plurality of movable masses, here shown as flywheels VV and V each pivotally mounted. on suitable brackets on the base 16 and disposed.

coaxially in such positions that the side bars 20 and 21 of the driver P extend through openings between the spokes of the wheels as best seen in Figs. 3 and 4. By means of helical springs 25, each of the side bars 20 and 21 of the driver P is attached to the rim of each of the wheels'W at points adjacent the top of the wheel. When the driver P is at rest the two springs 25 acting upon the flywheels W are balanced, so that the flywheels then occupy positions of equilibrium. When the driver P of the oscillator K is bemg swung from side to side, however, a variable moment is applied to each of the flywheels W to cause oscillation of the flywheels. The flywheels are constructed with different moments of inertia, and the resiliency of the several springs 25 is so adjusted that each of the flywheels W is mechanically resonant at a frequency which is different for 1ndividual wheels. Each of the wheels W 1S provided, with a damping mechanism here shown as a post 27 attached to the wheel and cooperating with two fixed damping springs 27. When the wheel oscillates in either direction from a middle position in which it is illustrated in the drawings, a pollshed face of the post 27 engages one or the other of the damping springs 27. The damping mechanism, thus constructed, operates m a manner analogous to resistance in a tuned electrical circuit to broaden the tun mg of the wheels so that each wheel will be resonant at frequencies within a band rather than sharply resonant at a single frequency.

As best shown in Fig. 4, wheel WV carries a movable contact 24 which is arranged to engage alternately with two fixed contacts 24 and 24 at the limits of the motion of the wheel VV when this wheel is being oscillated by operation of the driver P. It will be apparent that due to the permanent magnet 18,

the armature 19 will be held against one pole or the other of the electromagnet E when the electromagnet is deenergized so that contact 2424 or contact 24*24 is closed at all times when the oscillator is at rest. In similar manner, the wheel operates contacts 22- 22 and 2222" and wheel operates conacts i l-23 and 2323".

will be apparent from the foregoing that by controlling the supply of current to the electrcmagnet over contacts controlled by 1 and designate the track rails of a stretch of railway track, over which trarlic normally moves in the direction indicated by the arrow. These track rails are divided by means of insulated joints 2 to form a section A-B. A

' track relay R is connected across the rails adjacent one end of the section, and track circuit current for controlling this relay is supplied across the rails adjacent the other end of the section from suitable means, here shown as a battery 3, through the usual resistor l. Train controlling current is at times supplied to the rails of section AB from a suitable source of alternating current here illustrated as a generator G. through a transformer T, the secondary of which is connected across the rails of section AB in series with battery 2), resistor 4 and the usual mpedance 5.

The supply of current from generator G to transformer T is controlled in part by contact 9595 operated by the armature 19 of oscillator l: and also by an approach relay J. This relay J is normally deenergized but, when a train enters section AB to deenergize the traclr relay R- and close back contact 40 thereon, current from battery 41 energizes relay J. As shown in the drawings, section A is unoccupied so that track relay R is energized and relay J is open. Under these conditions. the oscillator K is at rest, and the circuit for the primary of transformer T is open at front contact 42 of relay J and also at contact 95-95 operated by armature 19 of the oscillator K. .Vhen a train enters section A-B, relay R becomes deenergized, thereby picking up relay J and supplying current to electromagnet E over contacts controlled by a selected one of the wheels TV. The selection between the several wheels is preferably controlled in accordance with tratlic conditons in adva cc and maybe accomplished in any suitable manner such for example as by a home relay H and a distant relay L. The circuits for controlling these two relays form no part of my present invention and are omitted from the drawings for the sake of simplicity. For present purposes, it is sufficient to state that home relay H is normally energized but is deenergized when a train occupies the section immediately to the right of point B. The

distant relay L is also normally energized but is deenergized when a train occupies either the first or the second section immediately to the right of point B. As here shown, relays H and L are both energized, so that when relay J becomes energized, current flows from battery D, over front contact 43 of relay J, front contact 66 of relay H, front contact 77 of relay L, contact 242-l of oscillator K and through a portion of electromagnet E back to battery D. When this circuit is closed, armature 19 is reversed, thereby op erating all of the flywheels controlled thereby and opening cont-act 24:24 but closing contact 24-24". When this happens, current is supplied over a circuit similar to that just described but serving to supply current of the other polarity to electromagnet E and thereby again reversing the armature 19. Since the reversals of armature 19 are controlled by contacts on the flywheel V it is apparent that the armature will be operated at the resonant frequency of this flywheel. Furthermore, since front contact l2 of relay J is now closed, the operation of contact 9595 driven by the armature 19 varies the current supplied to the transformer T at the frequency of operation of the armature, one impulse being delirered to the transformer for each complete cycle of operation of the armature. Under these conditions, therefore, the t-rackway is supplied with alternating current periodically varied at a frequency determined by the flywheel W \Vhen relay H is energized and relay L is deenergized, while relay J is closed, the operation of the apparatus is similar to that just described except that since contact 7-7 of relay L is now closed, the electromagnet E of oscillator K is controlled by contacts 23 23 and 2323 operated by Wheel instead of the corresponding contacts of wheel Under these conditions, the trackway is supplied with alternating current periodically varied at the frequency determined by wheel V In similar manner, when rclay H is deenergized, the closing of contact 66 introduces the contacts 22-22 and 2222 operated by wheel W in the control circuits for the electromagnet E, and when relay J is energized, the oscillator K operates to periodically vary the current supplied to the track rails at the frequency determined by wheel V It is manifest that the frequencies of operation of the oscillator K may be adjusted to any reasonable values by properly choosing the constants of the oscillating masses. For example, the parts may be constructed. so that the natural period of wheel is 80 oscillations per minute, the natural period of wheel is 120 oscillations per minute, and the natural period of wheel V is 180 oscillations per minute, but these particular values are mentioned only by way of illustration.

The current supplied to the track rails by the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 5 may be utilized to control governing means on the train in any suitable manner. For example, the apparatus on the train may be selectively responsive to the frequency of the variations in the current supplied to the track rails but not selectively responsive to the current itself.

Although I have described my invention as applied to the control of train governing current supplied to the trackway, it should be understood that my invention is not limited to this particular arrangement but is generally applicable wherever it is desiredto control a contact at different controlled frequencies.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of electrical apparatus embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is: I

1. In combination, a movable driver, means for operating said driver at different frequencies, a plurality of pivotally supported flywheels having different moments of inertia, resilient means connecting each flywheel with said driver, and contacts controlled. by each said flywheel.

2. In combination, a base, a plurality of coaxial wheels pivotally mounted on said base, a driver comprising two bars extending parallel with the axes of said Wheels, resilient means for connecting each bar of the driver with each wheel, means for oscillating ea id driver at different frequencies about an axis parallel With the axes of said wheels to impart an oscillating movement to each said wheel, and a contact operated by each said wheel, the Wheels being separately mechanically tuned to resonance at different frequencies.

3. In combination, a plurality of pivoted wheels mechanically tuned to resonance at different frequencies, a magnet operated armature for oscillating all of said Wheels at d ilferent frequencies, and a plurality of contacts one controlled by each said Wheel.

4. In combination, a plurality of masses mounted to oscillate and mechanically resonant at different frequencies, an electromagnet, an armature driven by said electromagnet for oscillating all of said masses at different frequencies, and a plurality of contacts one controlled by each said mass.

5. In combination, an electromagnet, a pivoted driver oscillated by said electromagnet at different frequencies, a plurality of masses mounted to oscillate independently and mechanically resonant at different frequencies, resilient means for connecting each said mass with said driver, and a plurality of contacts one controlled by each said mass.

6. In combination, a single driver mounted to oscillate, a plurality of masses each mounted to oscillate and separately connected with said driver, means for tuning said masses to mechanical resonance at different frequencies, means for oscillating said driver at different frequencies, and a plurality of 0011- tacts one controlled by each said mass.

7 In combination, a plurality of masses mounted to oscillate and mechanically resonant at different frequencies, a single motor for oscillating all said masses, a plurality of contacts one controlled by each said mass, means for controlling said motor by a selected one of said contacts, and an additional contact controlled by said motor.

8. In combination, an electromagnet, a pivoted driver oscillated by said electromagnet, a plurality of masses mounted to oscillate independently and mechanically resonant at different frequencies, means for c'ontrollin said electromagnet by a selected one of said masses to oscillate said driver at the resonant frequency of such selected mass, and an additional contact controlled by said driver.

9. In combination, an electromagnet, a pivoted driver oscillated by said electromagnet, a plurality of masses mounted to oscillate independently and mechanically resonant at different frequencies, means for controlling said electromagnet by a selected one of said masses to oscillate said driver at the resonant frequency of such selected mass, a load, a source for supplying energy to said load, and an additional contact interposed between said load and said source for varying the supply of current to the load at the resonant frequency of said selected mass.

10. In combination, an electromagnet, an armature controlled by said electromagnet, a plurality of pivoted Wheels having different movements of inertia, a plurality of contacts one controlled by each said wheel, means for supplying current to said electromagnet over a selected oneof said contacts, resilient means for separately connecting each of said Wheels With said armature, an additional contact controlled by said armature, a load, and means including said additional contact for supplying energy to said load.

11. In combination, a plurality of masses mounted to oscillate and mechanically resonant at different frequencies, a single motor for oscillating all said masses, a plurality of contacts one controlled by each said mass, and means for controlling said motor by a selected one of said contacts.

12. In combination, an electromagnet, a pivoted driver oscillated by said electromagnet, a plurality of masses mounted to oscillate independently and mechanically resonant at different frequencies, and means for controlling said electromagnet by a selected one of said masses to oscillate said driver at the resonant frequency of such selected mass.

13. In combination, an electromagnet, a pivoted driver oscillated by said electromagnet, a plurality of masses mounted to oscillate independently and mechanically resonant at different frequencies, means for controlling said electromagnet by a selected one of said masses to oscillate said driver at the resonant frequency of such selected mass, a load, a source for supplying energy to said load, and an additional contact interposed between said load and said source and operated directly by said pivoted driver for varying the supply of current to the load at the resonant frequency of said selected mass.

14. In combination, an electromagnet, an armature controlled by said electromagnet, a plurality of pivoted Wheels having different movements of inertia, a plurality of contacts one controlled by each said wheel, means for supplying current to said electromagnet over a selected one of said contacts, resilient means for separately connecting each of said Wheels with said armature, an additional contact opcratcd directly by said armature, a load, and means including said additional contact for supplying energy to said load.

15. In combination, a plurality of masses mounted to oscillate and mechanically resonant at different frequencies, a single motor for oscillating all said masses, means for controlling said motor by a selected one of said masses, a load, and means for controlling said load by the selected one of said masses.

16. In combination, a plurality of masses mounted to oscillate and mechanically resonant at different frequencies, a single motor for oscillating all said masses, means for controlling said motor by a selected one of said masses, a load, and means for supplying current to said load at the frequency of resonance of the selected mass.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ANDREW J. SORENSEN. 

